Chapter 26: Unexpected Change

This test was destined to be harder for mortals who had never cultivated compared to those who had.

Some might have felt this was unfair, but the Cultivation World itself was never fair.

Some were born with endless cultivation resources at their disposal, while others couldn’t even afford a mouthful of food from birth. Some were born with exceptional natural talents, while others had physical disabilities…

When compared to the true Cultivation World, their test could only be described as not even qualifying as child’s play.

Though it seemed a bit unfair, it was, after all, a sect test, so there were limits.

At least, the differences between people testing at each location weren’t too great.

They were grouped by cultivation level and age.

Yet, the little child in the Water Mirror didn’t seem to feel the cold.

It was just uncertain whether this “exceptional natural talent” was good or bad. However, they couldn’t help but take an extra glance at Shen Qingyi’s peculiarity.

Meanwhile, the Golden Core Elder Peak Masters nearby couldn’t help but glance from time to time at the several Nascent Soul Ancestors seated at the highest positions.

The main event of this disciple recruitment was for that Ancestor.

Xia Xingchen looked nervously at Xian Ci.

“How is it? Senior Brother Xian, have you spotted which one is my senior brother’s destined disciple?”

The Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators nearby and below all pricked up their ears.

Hearing this, Xian Ci looked again at the Water Mirror circling above the Main Hall.

His brows furrowed slightly.

“Hey! Senior Brother! Don’t frown!”

Xia Xingchen always dreaded it when his diviner senior brother frowned.

His senior brother, that perennial lone star and his own true-blooded senior brother, had finally encountered his one and only destined disciple in his life. As his junior brother, seeing his senior brother’s indifferent and cold expression made Xia Xingchen even more anxious than he was.

What kind of situation was this?

But if they didn’t intervene, in their lineage, only he and his senior brother remained of their generation. The other Elder-Uncle-Masters, Martial Uncles/Aunts, and Ancestors who could advance to Soul Projection had all gone to the Central Domain.

As his senior brother’s only true-blooded junior brother now, since his senior brother was cold and detached by nature and didn’t understand human feelings, he, the junior brother, had to shoulder the responsibility.

Xia Xingchen sighed again. It was a pity their master wasn’t here; otherwise, seeing him like this, he would surely have remarked that he had grown up!

After Xian Ci frowned and looked at the Water Mirror, his expression didn’t relax; instead, it grew tighter.

His hand under his sleeve clenched and unclenched, unclenched and clenched again.

Finally, he looked at Xia Xingchen and Shi Tongzhou.

“Junior Brother Xia, there is no need to worry. Senior Brother Shi’s destined disciple has already appeared. It’s just…”

Xia Xingchen had just felt relieved, but hearing “it’s just,” his heart instantly leaped into his throat.

“Don’t say ‘just’!”

A perfectly good sentence, and then there had to be a “just” added to it. Of course, he feared a sudden twist following that.

Shi Tongzhou, sitting upright nearby, also turned his gaze slightly.

“Just what?”

Xian Ci’s expression was somewhat complicated.

“Only, the original course seems to have deviated a bit.”

Shi Tongzhou couldn’t help but narrow his eyes slightly.

His diviner disciple’s reputation as the Heavenly Machine Diviner wasn’t given for nothing.

The original divination had appeared, yet it had changed slightly mid-course…

“Could it be that someone wants to meddle?”

Xia Xingchen couldn’t stand accidents at critical moments. He feared that at a time like this, someone might want to cause trouble. Disrupting the heavenly workings was difficult, but some could manage to a certain extent, though they would surely suffer heavenly retribution.

He just feared encountering those who, disregarding heavenly retribution, still sought to disturb the heavenly workings.

Xian Ci shook his head.

“This humble one does not know whether it’s good or bad… but I am sure of one thing.”

Xian Ci’s eyes turned again to look at his own junior brother sitting beside him.

She Zijiang felt his hair stand on end under Xian Ci’s gaze.

He was terrified when his diviner senior brother looked at him with such an expression.